Won’t Back Down

*The title of this post is taken from the Eminem song of the same name*

Ken and I had this little joke when we first sat down to talk about his goals.

He has a build like a powerlifter. I have a build like a distance runner.

The joke?

He’s the runner. I hate running. Give me weights.

True to his build, Ken is strong as hell. For a guy who never really put much emphasis into lifting weights, he has a ton of natural strength that we’ve been working on.

However, he didn’t really start training with me to get stronger (although that wasn’t going to be a bad thing if he did.)

Like most of our clients, Ken started with me to lose weight.

Initially, he didn’t drop a lot. We were able to discuss some tips that might help him with his hectic work schedule and he made some changes but nothing too drastic. However, he stayed motivated to continue his workouts because of how he could see his strength levels improve.

He would see me twice a week for strength workouts and, when possible, get some additional cardio in on his alternate days.

Then one day he went out for a leisurely run outside of his home.

No more than 200 yards from home, he fell and accidentally broke his foot.

If memory serves, it was a Sunday morning.

Ken sent me a text as he was leaving the doctor’s office telling me the news.

My kneejerk reaction was to panic a bit. I felt like Ken was starting to get in a groove with the workouts and I really didn’t want him to lose momentum when it felt like he was about to turn a corner.

However, we came up with a game plan.

Even though he would be on crutches to get here, we were going to focus on upper body movements where Ken could at least feel productive and stimulate some muscle. We would work with whatever range of motion and limitations the doctors would give us.

In addition, Ken agreed to pull his caloric intake down even more since he wouldn’t have the option of cardio activity to assist with weight loss.

And what do you know: Ken started losing the weight that had alluded him before his fall.

Now, Ken is back in his normal shoes (with a slight limp), off his crutches and can include even more variety into his workouts.

If you let some fitness pictures and memes guide your motivation, it’s easy to find individuals who are handicapped to some degree and can still get in their workouts. The picture is normally followed by the question “If they can do it, what’s your excuse?”

I don’t really care for the tone of that question even though I know it probably comes from a place of genuine good. Rather than shame someone because of perceived excuses, I would much rather praise someone for committing to their goals.

What I will say is that somewhere along your journey you may get sidetracked by an injury. Some injuries worse than others. While the injury, in and of itself can be discouraging, remember to look at what you CAN do versus what you CAN’T.

Ken has had to temporarily give up one of his favorite exercise activities and is still seeing great results (and will continue to.)

Take a cue from Ken and the title of this post. Don’t back down. Re-align your focus. Concentrate on what you can control. Then control it.

Results will come. They don’t have to be traditional or orthodox. They just have to work for you.